Bell's Idea Of U-back Makes A Quick U-turn

August 28, 1985|By Larry Guest of the Sentinel Staff

TAMPA — Journey with me now back to one afternoon last week when the Tampa Bay press corps squeezed into the little desk chairs at One Buccaneer Place and awaited the appearance of Leeman Bennett for his daily press conference. One reporter slid into his chair easily, showing no need of turning sideways to find breathing room for his paunch.

Jerry Bell was playing reporter.

Bennett came in and immediately spotted the one athletic-looking impostor. ''Mr. Bell,'' Bennett said, ''do you have a question?''

''I'd like to know about this new U-back position,'' Bell said. ''You have an outstanding receiver at that position. When are you going to throw the ball to him?''

That's exactly what Bell wanted to know when Bennett and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye approached him about being the first U-back to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What is it?

Well, it's what Raye calls the extra guy you have on offense when you place just one running back behind the quarterback. Camp jokesters claim the name arose so that the coaches could get Bell's attention by yelling, ''Hey, U.'' The publicity folks would like us to believe that it stands for ''Up back.'' But the truth is that Raye coined the term when he was with the Los Angeles Rams simply by picking a letter from the alphabet.

But what does the U-back do?

A lot of things. He can line up as a second tight end or as a wingback of sorts, set out to the side and just behind the line of scrimmage. And he usually goes into motion, so his starting point doesn't really matter. His two responsibilities are blocking and catching short- to middle-range passes.

How did Bell react?

He hated it.

''I thought it was just a part-time job,'' he said this week. ''It sounded like 20 plays a game, so it sounded like a demotion because I was playing 60 percent of the time about 40 plays last year. I wasn't here to play less than before.''

Life is better now.

''Yes, it has worked out because now the U-back is a vital part of our offense.''

A little explanation is needed here, but Bell is not the person to explain. As we said, the U-back is used only when one running back (James Wilder) is in the backfield. And Bennett came here hoping to use the two-back offense much more than last year -- meaning Bell would be on the bench.

A funny thing happened to Bennett's plans and Bell's position on the team. Bennett discovered that he doesn't have a second back good enough to be in the lineup. You can't run two backs if you don't have two backs to run. So you run Wilder -- and put Bell into motion.

This could mean great things for Bell. Before his position was changed from tight end to U-back, he was in a battle with former Pro Bowler Jimmie Giles for the No. 1 tight end role. Now, instead of a battle with one player losing out, both Bell and Giles will be in the starting lineup.

Bell can blossom into the receiver he wants to be. After three preseason games, he leads the Bucs in catches with seven. And Giles can make a comeback at tight end, because he's second with six receptions.

If it doesn't work, Bell always can go back to tight end. But using Bell at U-back makes sense because it gets the best athletes on the field. Giles still has plenty of skills left for the Bucs to use, and Bell is young, gifted -- and smart.

''The U-back role needs a player with enough size to block linebackers, enough speed to run pass routes -- and enough intelligence to make it work,'' Bennett said. ''Jerry has it all.''

More than a jock, Bell is a computer graphics framer for IBM in the off- season. More than a brain, he finds time to help run the Tampa fight against sickle-cell anemia, works to curb crime in the black neighborhoods of Tampa and works for the Boys and Girls Club in Ybor City.

In all ways, Jerry Bell is a winner. And perhaps when he's through with the position, U-back may stand for ''Unique.''